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A Law Actually Interview with… Charon QC

Although my remote interview series isn’t making a comeback, the inimitable Charon QC was very much on my shortlist last time around. It might have taken a little while to make it happen, but I think you’ll find couched within his answers, a fascinating insight into one of the blawgosphere’s most prolific, quirky and respected blawggers.

Anyway, let’s get straight to the questions:

What’s the story behind the (now legendary) blawg, Charon QC? How did it first come about?

Having been a law teacher for 30 years - and founding BPP Law School with BPP Holdings PLC in the early 1990s - I have always been interested in writing. Writing law books for students is a pleasure - but not exactly a barrel of laughs. There aren't that many laughs in the Law of Contract, sale of Goods or Civil and Human Rights Law.

After leaving BPP I was free from constraints. I started the character Charon QC in 2003 or thereabouts after a couple of years amusing myself and meeting some great people on Roll on Friday. I was Judge Jeffries on RoF for a while and then re-invented myself as Brigadier Grappa.

Nick Holmes suggested that I used Wordpress to blog in 2006, rather than html on my magazine. It was good advice.

I chose the name *Charon* - The Ferryman - because I rather liked the idea of ferrying lawyers to Hades. I have, in fact, got a wide range of brothers, cousins, sisters in the *Charon family*. Cardinal Charoni di Tempranillo - a Vatican expert in money laundering and exorcism - makes appearances from time to time. Rex Charon MP, Charon MD - very occasionally, and... my extremely dull brother, professor R.D. Charon, an embittered academic, who has spent his life writing articles of little merit or interest and books no-one actually reads and which don't even get into the remainder bin.

My *About* section on the blog explains much - I am not anonymous, but could, possibly, be Hieronymus.

You’re probably the most prolific blawgger in the ‘sphere (and would no doubt be adjudged to have significant market power) ;-) but where do you get all of your blawgging energy from? Put another way, what motivates you as a blawgger?

As you know - because you kindly removed me from your awards listings, I have absolutely no interest in influence, awards etc. - save for those I award myself (or John Bolch's Oscars on Family Lore - but John is an old mate) - so I would not wish to claim market power and certainly do not seek it.

I write as I find. Sometimes, in the mornings and afternoons (weekdays only) I am sober. I write vaguely sensible stuff then in the form of Law reviews and, of course, I enjoy my podcasts. At night... well.... as the mood takes me. I enjoy satire and parody. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

I am a frustrated artist - hence my use of pics/painting et al. My headmaster (called a *Warden* - I went to Glenalmond, a detention centre of great repute in Perthshire, Scotland) told me there was no money in art. Well, he was wrong. Idon't make any money from my F**kArt (at least, not yet!) but tell that to Damien and Tracey.

I only sleep for four hours a day. I blog because I enjoy it - and never blog if I don't wish to. Energy is, therefore, not required!

I have one motivation - and that is to ensure that legal education is properly done and that the rule of Law is upheld. As I cannot influence either of these things other than through the medium of blogging these days - I do so, as best I can, by blogging. I am fortunate that a fair number actually read my blog and tolerate it. Some groan.

You adopt a very satirical approach to blawgging. Is that just a reflection of your personality or was this a conscious decision for the direction of your blawg?

I have a warped sense of humour. I blame my father. He was a Scot... he is dead now. I was a bit worried, given the fantastic quantities of whisky he drank while alive, that the cremation could be a bit awkward in terms of explosions - but... it was fine. I am a Scot, and I am still alive. I enjoy parody and satire. I try not to be unkind on my blog or on twitter. I believe that manners are important. I will not tolerate people slagging me off - so why should I tolerate commenters on twitter or on my blog slagging others off. Parody has advantages. I do use Muttley Dastardly LLP to comment on the more unusual aspects of the legal profession. Ironically - it is probably the most widely read part of the blog!

I also learned a long time ago not to confuse intelligence with education. I used to tell my students that we do not come down the mountain with tablets of stone. There is a very good reason, I told them, why we might know a bit more law - because we have been doing it longer. I did add that if you don't know more law when you leave - there are fascinating careers elsewhere.

How important are comments and feedback to you? Have they shaped the development of Charon QC?

I always appreciate those who take the time to comment on my blog. Sadly - with the advent of twitter - comments are less frequent, because people tend to comment or discuss points on twitter. Unfortunately, a lot of people who read my blog are not on Twitter so do not see the excellent points being made by some commenters on the issues I raise. I like to raise issues - I do not have the answers - but, sometimes, the commenters on the blog and on twitter do.

Do they influence me? Not directly - but almost certainly, indirectly. I am always open to new thinking, ideas and knowledge. I learn a lot from the expertise of those who do read my blog - and that is one of the real pleasures of blogging. I have done over 250 serious podcasts with some remarkable lawyers. One learns a lot through the views and experience of others.

I am certainly not influenced by *Dark Forces* and, as far as I know... I blog without *fear or (and of) favour*

What was your best blawgging experience of all time?

Yet to come! I am an optimist and rarely look back... I hope that it can only be more fun in the future....

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Michael is a practising lawyer and accomplished cynic from the UK. He’s been blogging since his student days and can’t quite bring himself to hang up his blogging gloves just yet (they’re fingerless gloves, obviously).
He loves fussing over trivialities, seeking comfort from repetitive activities, idly reminiscing and moaning about things.